This invention relates to screening, specifically to the repair of damaged window screening.
Existing screening repair methods employ various materials and installation approaches. The most common, the metal screening patch, is generally a precut square or rectangular piece of woven wire fabric. This type of patch has two opposite edges of extended filaments that are shaped to contact screening at approximately 45-degree angles. This patch can only be cut down to size along the two remaining un-bent or non-securing edges. Thus, patch dimensions and shape are limited. Additionally, this repair method requires access to both sides of the screening, often necessitating removal of a screening frame from a window frame. The use of two hands is needed to precisely align multiple filaments along the patch edge so that the filaments can freely extend through the screening being repaired, and subsequently bent parallel to the screening to properly secure the patch. This multistep procedure must be repeated to install the opposite edge of the patch. Very often during this installation procedure, the securing filaments became bent or misshapen, making proper installation more difficult and time consuming. Sometimes fresh patches are needed for additional installation attempts.
While it is possible to apply a woven wire fabric patch onto screening without bending the filaments to secure it, this installation method usually results in the patch falling off when the window is opened or closed. If the screening is mounted in a door, the first slamming of the door usually dislodges the patch.
Another method of repair is the sewing of a fabric swatch to the screening with a threaded needle. Typically, the thread is sewn around the perimeter of the swatch. This repair approach also requires the use of two hands and access to both sides of the damaged screening, often necessitating the removal of the screening frame from a window frame. Additionally a sewing needle and thread are needed, along with the additional step and eye hand coordination required to thread the needle.